09.11.09
Posted in The Word at 3:17 pm by Administrator
In my editing life, I’ve run across many a character who says “hum” whenever they are thinking about something, as in “Hum … I think I’ll have the chocolate cake.” But most people don’t actually say “hum” in such a situation; what they really say is “hmm,” with the lips together.
Hum is a verb meaning “to utter a sound like that of the speech sound \m\ prolonged” or “to sing with closed lips.” Hum can also be a noun referring to such a sound or such singing.
He hummed a merry tune.
Hmm (or hm) is an interjection that usually expresses “thoughtful absorption, doubt, or perplexity.”
“Hmm … I’ll have to think about that,” he said.
And putting it all together:
“Hmm … I’ll have to think about that,” he said. Then he hummed a merry tune.
(Definitions from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Dictionary.com.)
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Posted in Writer's Resource at 3:08 pm by Administrator
The Purdue OWL offers many free resources (over 200, their homepage says), including guides to MLA and APA style, grammar and mechanics information, tips on writing in the workplace, and much more—they even have online practice exercises to help you spruce up your grammar. The information is geared mostly towards writers of nonfiction, but I think just about every writer can find something useful here. Let’s face it, some of us write great poetry or short stories, but our business letters could use some work!
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09.09.09
Posted in Favorite Books and Authors at 9:21 pm by Administrator
Why read grown-up books when you can read something fun? About a year and a half ago, a friend and I stumbled upon a book called Operation Red Jericho in a discount bookstore. It looked neat and only cost four dollars, so we both snatched up a copy. That was the best four dollars I’ve ever spent.
I should explain what attracted us to Operation Red Jericho in the first place. It was the illustrations. The book is an adventure novel, but it is full of fold-out illustrations: maps, diagrams, “The Weaponry, History, and Fighting Techniques of the Sujing Quantou,” and more. Better still, much of this material is marked “confidential.” This excites me.
My friend and I immediately contacted our inner twelve-year-olds and started reading. Soon we had both acquired the second book in the series, Operation Typhoon Shore. We also formed a secret club. I can’t even tell you what it’s called—it’s that secret. I can tell you that we have saved the world numerous times by meeting at our favorite Indian restaurant and consuming large quantities of butter chicken. The food was the only thing that got us through many agonizing months of waiting for the final book, Operation Storm City. We’re not sure how we’ll entertain ourselves now that the story is finished.
You’ll be wondering what that story is all about. A young brother and sister, Rebecca (handy with a sword) and Douglas (brilliant thinker with lucky socks), search for their parents in China in 1920. They end up on a ship belonging to their uncle, Captain Fitzroy MacKenzie (owns a pet tiger), and adventure ensues. The books are full of secrets, plots, ne’er-do-wells, sword fights, explosions … I could go on and on. Let’s just say the world needs saving from some serious bad guys, and soon it’s up to Becky, Doug, and their friends to do the saving.
If you’re looking for serious literature, this is not it. But if you want a little fun, or perhaps an excuse to wake up your inner twelve-year-old and form a secret club …
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09.02.09
Posted in Editorial Musings at 8:21 pm by Administrator
I went to see Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Inglourious Basterds, last weekend. I’ve been perturbed ever since. Not so much by the violence, although I don’t really enjoy violence and honestly could have lived just fine without seeing this movie. I just can’t stop wondering about the spelling of the title. Wouldn’t it be fun to take a red pen to a few movie posters and fix the spelling to read “Inglorious Bastards”? (Please note that I am in no way advocating such an action.)
This issue wouldn’t trouble me so much if Tarantino would just say something like, “Yes, I do know how to spell. I deliberately chose to use this particular spelling because …” Would that be so hard? But apparently he’s choosing to play it cagey and not explain the spelling (at least that’s what I turned up in an exhaustive five-minute Internet search). I could even forgive Tarantino for that (artistic license and all) if not for the other reason I’m presently perturbed: I regularly have to correct “basterd” to read “bastard” in manuscripts I edit, and now I suspect there will be even more “basterds” showing up in my work life. But wait—there’s more! Someday someone will argue with me over how to spell “bastard.” I will point to the correct spelling in the dictionary, and the author will reply, “But that’s not how Quentin Tarantino spells it.” I can hardly wait.
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